Just One Moment
by Sweet Little Lullabies
Summary: A moment between Ivy and Rachel Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, they belong to Kim Harrison
1. Part 1

I awoke with a start, my hand instinctually racing up to cover my mouth, stifling the loud moan that began to spill from my throat. Everyone else was asleep and I didn't want to wake them because of a dream. I dropped my hand away from my mouth and licked my dry lips, trying to wet them, but even my mouth was dry. I slid out of bed and into a pair of Kisten's sweats that I had pilfered from him and padded barefoot to the kitchen. I paused for a second by Ivy's door to see if she was home, but then thought again and continued on my mission to the kitchen for a glass of water.

It had been almost eight months since the incident with Ivy in the van and I was still having flashbacks to it. It didn't seem like that big of a deal, until the dreams started up again a few weeks ago. They always started out the same, with Ivy pinning me to the wall of the van, mouth working my neck, but the outcome differed from what actually happened. Instead of me stopping her fingers from creeping any farther up my sweater, I let her finish what she want started. It frightened and intrigued me at the same time to think of me and Ivy being together in that way. I just couldn't figure out why.

I pulled a glass down from the cabinet and filled it to almost overflowing, glancing at the clock on the microwave. It was ten in the morning. Grimacing, I drank deep of the water, only coming up for air when I absolutely had to. I set the empty cup in the sink and leaned my back against the island counter top, trying to clear my head of the dream. The church itself was eerily quiet. It might have been because it was rather early in the morning. No one was ever up until at least two or three in the afternoon. Off in the distance, I could hear the faint sound of pixy children laughter coming from the garden. I filled my glass back up and went outside. I needed to relax and the green of the garden would help me with that.

Being first, and foremost, an earth witch, the garden was my place to escape. As soon as I kneeled down and brushed my fingertips over the soft petals of a white climbing rose, I felt instantly more calm, serene almost. I closed my eyes and drew in the sweet scent of earth and green things into my lungs and laid back in the grass. I suddenly heard the flutter and click of pixy wings and the soft sound of pixy children laughter. Those little boogers were sneaking up on me. I waited until they had stilled above me and then jumped up.

"Boo!" I yelled, which sent them flying up into the air, their screams of fright scraping the inside of my skull, but I still laughed. I sat up on my elbows and glanced around, watching pixy heads peeking out from behind flower petals and from under toadstools.

"Tink's knickers! What is all the screaming about, kids?" Jenks voice echoed across the yard from their stump. Suddenly, fifty-six voices rang out, trying all to get their say in at the same time. Jenks' whistle quieted them. I saw him flit into the air, hovering in place when he had caught sight of me. "Jeez, Rache. What are you doing up this early?" He flew up to me and I held my hand out for him to land upon my palm.

"Just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about." I shrugged. He put his hands upon his hips in a classic Peter Pan pose.

"A nightmare? I thought you were done with those." He said softly.

"I thought I was too, but this time the dream is different at the end... I actually let Ivy..." I left off the last bit. I also didn't want to admit out loud to Jenks, that I liked the ending of this dream. I would wake up in the middle of the night or early morning, panting into my pillow, my skin still tingling from Ivy's phantom touch. Jenks moved up close to my face, laying his tiny hand against my cheek.

"It was just a dream Rache, don't worry over it," His words of encouragement made me smile. I stood slowly, so as not to drop the pixy, who flitted from my palm as soon as I stood up all the way. He smiled. "Try to go get some more sleep." I nodded and smiled again. It was so great to have Jenks and his kids back. The church had been way too quiet without them. That and I was sick of having to go to war with fairies every time I wanted to get some herbs from the garden.

I said my goodbye's and goodnight's to Jenks and the kids and went back into the church. Setting my glass in the sink, I then slipped down the hall that housed the doors to mine and Ivy's rooms. I peeked into Ivy's quickly. She was still asleep, her sable hair sleep tousled and falling into her face. She made a small noise in her throat, much like a moan, and rolled onto her side, giving me a good clean line of her side under the silk of teddy. I felt things low in my body tighten and I fought the urge to crawl into bed with her and run my lips over every inch of her skin, waking her to let her take me.

Before the urge grew any stronger, I went to my room. Closing the door, I stripped down to my t-shirt and panties and slid tiredly under the covers. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out and the dream came flooding over me once more. I didn't even have a chance to stop it.

We were in the van and we were talking, then we argued and Ivy got up to leave and those two doom-filled words spilled from my lips.

"Don't go," I said. The dream goes black for a second, but when it comes back, Ivy has me pinned to the van wall, her teeth penetrating my neck and her fingers sliding up under my sweater. A sliver spike of pleasure shot straight to my groin from where her fingers touched my skin. Her hand crept hesitantly upwards, fingers brushing the underside of my breast. I wanted to tell her to stop, that this wasn't right and that I wasn't wired that way, like I had actually done that day, but I couldn't make myself say the words. When I opened my mouth, the only thing that came out of it was a soft moan. She took that as an invitation and slid her hand around to unhook my bra, pulling it from me and then her hand went back to my breast. From that moment on, I was done for. My hand slid up under her shirt as well, brushing fingertips over any whatever bare skin I could find.

She moaned against my neck before pulling her mouth from me, looking at me as she took her sweater off and pulled mine own over my head. She sat back for a moment, her gaze sliding over my newly bared skin. She smiled lovingly at me and it lit up her features like I had never seen before. It stole my breath away. She slid her arms around my waist and pulled me into her lap, kissing me deeply.

The dream goes black once more, coming back to life with color and fervor. This time we were both nude, Ivy on top of me, nimble digits doing wicked things to my nether regions, bringing me close to orgasm.

I woke up then, panting heavily into my pillow. My body tingling once more. I sat up and grimaced. I was covered in sweat and I reeked of sex. That meant I would have to wash my sheets and clothes. Sighing, I grabbed clean clothes from my dresser and went to my bathroom to take a shower.


	2. Part 2

The shower felt wonderful. It had relaxed me in ways that the garden couldn't. I cracked open the bathroom door, listening for the sounds of movement about the church. Once I was sure that no one was home, I dashed to my bedroom, towel held tightly about me.

Finally dressed, I wandered into the kitchen to find Ivy hard at work at her computer. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black tank top, with her hair held back from her face by a clip. She was reclined slightly in her chair (jokingly called the "Throne") with her lean, leather-clad legs crossed and a pen cap clenched between her teeth, looking quite set in concentrating on her work.

My breath almost caught in my throat at the sight of her, but I stamped it out and went about my morning (well afternoon, really) ritual of coffee, cereal and flipping through the demon spell book that Kisten had given me a few months ago. Ivy didn't look at me the whole time I sat across the table from her. She was too immersed in her case.

I kept glancing up at her, only to find her with her face still buried into the computer screen, her eyes flicking to the map laid out before her, muttering something under her breath, before making a mark on the map. I must have stared too long because Ivy's voice rang out in the quiet of the kitchen, making me jump.

"Take a picture, Rachel, it lasts longer." She looked up from the screen with a faint smile and a chuckle, something rarely seen or heard from Ivy. I just blinked at her for a moment, still so unsure of what to do. I finally came to my senses and smiled sheepishly back.

"Sorry, I kinda spaced out for a moment," I said a bit more quiet than I normally would have as a deep blush tinged my cheeks. To hide this, I lifted the demon book up to my face, but I could still feel her eyes on me, as if she could see through the book to me.

"It's ok," I could hear the smile in her voice. "Don't forget that we have a sparring session at six tonight. I want to make sure that you've been practicing," She said as she stood. I heard her grab her keys and walk down the hall. I then heard the big front door open and close and gave a soft sigh of relief before slumping down into my seat. Maybe I could get out of sparring if I said that I had a headache. No, that would never work. She'd see right through that excuse and then grill me for the truth until I told her. That would only end up causing more problems than what Ivy and I already had to deal with. I gave another sigh and stretched and got up out of the chair.

I grabbed my purse and my keys and leaned out the back door into the garden. I gave a whistle and Jih, Jenks' oldest daughter, flitted out from behind a flower. She had just recently left from the stump and was living in Keasly and Ceri's garden. She game me a smile and fluttered upward to hover inches from my face.

"Hello, Ms. Morgan, how are you today?" Her soft voice rang into my ears like tiny bells.

"I am doing good, Jih. Is your dad here?" I gave the little ethereal beauty a smile back as I asked a question back to her. She nodded and flew over to the stump. A few moments later, two small glittering figures lifted from the stump, one silver, the other red. I knew the red one was Jenks, his color clearly showing his irritation.

As Jenks flew closer, his color lightened and I could see the smile slowly form upon his tiny lips. I offered my hand and he flew up to light gently upon it.

"What's up, Rache?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come grocery shopping with me with me." I said softly and Jenks bounded into the air with a whoop of joy.

"Tink's red panties, Rachel. Of course I want to go grocery shopping with you!" Did I mention that after Jenks's little stint in the big world, he had grown a fondness for any kind of shopping. He landed upon one of my earrings, chatting cheerily into my ear as I made my way to my car. Yeah... My licence had been suspended, but I was OK as long as I stuck to the side streets and didn't go anywhere near the freeway.

By the time we returned home, it was already six. I grimaced, thinking of the upcoming sparring session with Ivy. Jenks had went out back to tell Matalina and the kids that he was home. I slipped into the house with the canvass grocery bags slung over my shoulder and walked down the main hall, into the kitchen. I set the bags onto the island and began putting the groceries away. The click and flutter of pixy wings brought me out of my own thoughts, telling me that Jenks was back. He landed upon a soup ladle hanging on the rack over the counter and watched me put away the last bit of groceries before flitting down to land upon the bar top, spreading a liberal amount of silver pixy dust upon the island counter. I gave a small smile and leaned my butt against the sink.

"Do we have any of that honey left, Rache?" He asked me, taking a few steps in my direction. "I need something to take the edge off. Not even home for five minutes and the kids are already driving me up the wall." I nodded, still staying silent. I grabbed a thimble from the drawer and the honey out of the cabinet before setting the thimble upon the table, putting a drop of honey and one drop of water in it to thin out the consistency and left the jar open on the table for him to get at.

"There you go." I mumble absent-mindedly, my mind already buzzing with excuses to tell Ivy as to why I couldn't spar with her.

"You ok, Rache? You seem kind of out of it." Jenk's voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked down at him as he sipped at his honey.

"Yeah, just letting my mind wander." I answered him back before taking a can of Coke from the fridge and going to sit down at my end of the table and flipped open my demon spell book to a random page. I heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening and the heavy thump of Ivy's motorcycle boots on the hardwood floor of the main room. Jenk's flew up from the counter and moved to sit on the table in front of the demon book.


	3. Part 3

"I'm home!" Ivy's voice rang out from hall as she approached the kitchen. My pulse sped up until is was pounding heavily in my throat. I heard Ivy's footsteps falter as I tried to calm myself. "Rachel? Are you alright?" She asked from the hall, before coming the rest of the way down the hall and stopped in the doorway. I nodded, looking up from the page that I was trying to focus on and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, before looking back down at the book. My pulse finally slowing. Ivy came in to sit at her chair in front of her computer and flicked on the screen, hearing the click of the mouse, I knew that she was checking her messages. She stood soon afterward and gave me a ghost of a smile.

"Ready to spar?" She asked. Her eyes lighting up a bit. I nodded.

"Yeah, I gotta go change real quick, but I'll meet you in the sanctuary." I answered back, fighting to keep myself calm and not allow any thoughts cross my mind. I managed a smile and stood, putting the demon book back under the island counter before trudging down the hall to change.

Once I was dressed, I walked into the sanctuary. Ivy had already laid out the blue sparring mats and was standing in the middle of them. She still wore her black tank top, but had exchanged her leather pants for a pair of black silk jogging shorts. I myself was in a red tank-top and a pair of grey sweat pants. I had taken off my socks and my feet made a soft tap against the cool wood floor. I let my mind stay clear, blank, as I walked upon the mat to meet Ivy standing in the middle. I gave her a ghost of a smile and tucked a stray curl behind an ear.

"You ready?" She asked. When I nodded, she stepped back into one of her intricate karate stances and I stepped back into a basic defensive stance I had learned while training for the I.S. So, the sparring began.

Ivy feinted to the left, thinking I would take the bait. I dodged and crouched to the right as her foot came up swinging. I swept her feet out from under her with a swift kick and she landed on her back with a thud, only to spring back up to her feet quickly. The way she moved around the mat was so sensual and graceful. It seemed more like a dance than a fight to me. It was like she was beckoning me with her body to come to her. Clenching my hands into fists for a moment, I forced my thoughts away from that. _'Stupid witch' _I scolded myself, _'It's just the vamp pheramones. Snap out of it'. _My scar wasn't tingling... but other body parts sure were.

Her hand stung as she back handed me as I came up to come after her, it rocked my head back, also making me stumble back a few steps. The adrenaline surged through me as the fight went on and before I knew it Ivy had taken me down for the first time in awhile. I had ran straight at her, barreling her over to land on her back, before landing on top of her, pinning her there. She flipped me over onto my stomach and had my arm pinned behind my back before I knew what was happening. I was panting heavily, sweat beading on my skin.

"Do you give up?" She panted out and I nodded before she let me up. She stood and walked over to the edge of the mats and grabbed two towels, tossing me one and began to dab herself off a bit, though she didn't look the least bit sweaty. I don't know what I would have done if I had seen all of that bare flesh, glistening with the strain she had endured. I grimace and wiped the sweat from my face. "I'm gonna go get us some water." Ivy's words broke through my thoughts and I nodded again, still not speaking as I tried to catch my breath.

So, I allowed myself to drift into thought, which was a bad idea... I tried to stamp out the thought of Ivy touching me again, but was too late. I heard Ivy's gasp as well as her deep intake of breath as she scented the air. I grimaced and mentally smacked myself as I tried to calm myself once again. Looking up, I caught Ivy staring at me in the doorway, a look of soft wonder and bewilderment taking over her delicate features.

"Rachel... Stop it." Ivy managed to rasp out, before she took a few steps toward me. I could see her fighting with herself to keep from taking those steps.

"I'm trying, just relax for a second." I snapped at her, hoping the anger I felt would douse out the little spikes of pleasure flowed through me as my mind ran rampant with thoughts of Ivy above me, her hot breath on my skin, her hands on my body... Damn-it, I was doing it again. I could feel the first ebb and flow of Ivy's vamp pheramones hitting my system and my scar began to tingle.

I stood slowly and stepped away from the mats, putting the door at my back if I needed it. She was clenching and unclenching her hands, trying to fight for her own control as her pupils slowly began to swallow the amber color of her eyes and stared.

"I'm going to go into my room. You stay here." I said calmly. "Maybe we should stop the sparring lesson for today." I suggested also. Ivy's gaze shot up to me and she shook her head rapidly.

"No, we can get through this Rache, just stay calm and think of something different." She murmured, barely audible to my ears.

"What in Tink's Disney mansion is going on?" Jenk's voice brought me out of my anger and I realized that he was still there. He flew up slowly to hover unsteadily between Ivy and myself.

"Stay out of this, bug." Ivy's voice was low and strained with the warning that she put into her statement. "Rachel and I can handle this. Everyone just needs to remain calm." She took a step forward as if an invisible force had nudged her just that one step and she was fighting not to take more.

"Like hell I will! You either need to go outside and take a chill pill or Rachel needs to go somewhere where you can't pounce on her." Jenk's snapped. "I'm not gonna let another incident like what happened in Michigan, happen again." His wings turned a dark red to show his anger and irritation as he flew to Ivy, poking one of his tiny fingers into her face. "I vowed to look after and protect Rachel and I will not go through almost losing her again because of YOU!" Ivy's face fell and all the pain and sorrow that she had been feeling since then came flooding back. The tears welled up in her eyes and she turned away. Jenk's tirade faltered and he sighed "Awe, hell. I'm sorry, Ivy. I didn't mean to say that... It's the honey talking. I'll leave you and Rachel be to work this out..." He flitted up and took off through the kitchen in the screen, leaving Ivy and I in the heavy silence. I heard Ivy's whimper and move around the counter toward her.

"Ivy? You alright?" I reached my hand out to touch her shoulder and she whirled on me.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped, making me jump and take a step back. "You don't want to touch a monster like me!" She then turned to leave toward her room. I followed her down the hall (which I learned was a bad idea, but still did it anyway), catching her bedroom door as she tried to close it. She whipped around again to face me. "Get out, Rachel. I can't handle you being here right now and you know better."

"Wait, Ivy. Please." I opened the door the rest of the way and stepped in, closing the door behind me, not really sure of what I was trying to do. I leaned against the closed door and watched her pace about her room, muttering under her breath. She froze mid-step when she realized that I wasn't leaving.

"I said get out!" She yelled and advanced on me. I could see by her eyes that Ivy had almost completely vamped out. She grabbed a hold of my wrists and lifted them over her head with one of her hands, pressing me into the door. "Is this what you want?" She was so close now, her body molded firmly to mine, her breath upon my lips. I let out a soft gasp, but did nothing else. Her breathing was ragged as she leaned her face closer to mine, so close that a sharp intake of breath would bring our lips together. "Tell me what you want Rachel and I will do it. All you have to do is just tell me, for turns sake." She pleaded with me in a hoarse whisper.

I did the only thing I could think of doing. I kissed her... I kissed Ivy Tamwood.


	4. Part 4

She froze against me, but I continued the kiss. It started out hesitant and shy at first but soon I was pressing my lips firmly against hers, sliding my tongue over her lower lip before catching her lip between my teeth. She still held my hands above my head, still not moving. I whimpered and pleaded with my body, rubbing myself against her, trying to entice her into kissing me back. She finally gave into me, kissing me back with all the heat and need that had been filling her these past few months. Still holding my hands above my head, she slid her other hand along my abdomen before slipping those graceful fingers up my shirt. I broke the kiss and gasped, tilting my head back, feeling Ivy trail her lips down my neck in a fiery line and nipped my collarbone where my demon scar was. I felt the scar come alive as Ivy's teeth grazed over it, causing me to release a low, guttural moan as the little jolts of pleasure shot straight to my groin. My knees weakened, threatening to give out as a new onslaught of vamp pheramones hit me.

Ivy's lips paused at my collar bone. She froze again in that eerie stillness that only vamps seemed to be able to accomplish. _'Crap,'_ I thought. _'She thinks I'm gonna freak out.'_ I slid a hand out of her grasp and placed it under her chin, lifting her face to mine. I kissed her again, deep and soft, imploring her with my lips to relax. Her arms slid around my waist as mine wrapped about her neck, pressing our bodies back together. She stiffened only for a moment before melting back into the embrace. _'God, this is amazing.' _I thought. _'Why had I denied myself for so long?'_ I loved, Ivy... No, I was _in love_ with Ivy. I felt it with every fiber of my being.

I was then hit with the sudden realization. What about Kisten? Sure, I loved him as well, but the love I felt for Ivy was something completely and utterly different to what I felt for the male vamp. It used to be that Kisten could move me in ways Ivy couldn't, but now it was the other way around. Then, as if he felt me thinking about him, I heard the front door opened and I heard Kisten's voice call out.

"Hey, anyone home?" His voice came, muted by Ivy's closed door. Ivy tore herself away from me, leaving me gasping as I leaned against the door. Ivy's eyes were wide with fear and shame. I grimaced as well, straightening my clothing out, before opening the door.

"Hey Kist, we are in Ivy's room!" I called out and looked back to check on Ivy. She was paler that usual and she was panting. Her eyes were almost back to normal as she straightened herself out as well.

The heavy thump of Kisten's motorcycle boots echoed down the hall as he came closer. He froze and I heard his deep intake of breath as he scented the air. He took a couple steps closer and came into sight. I felt Ivy's presence like a weight at my back, feeling her predatory side click into place. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Is everything alright, ladies?" He asked, his voice soft and unsure as the his pupils began to expand as he sensed the conflicting emotions swimming in the air.

I froze as Kisten seemed to fit everything into place, but instead of the anger that I expected, a bright smile bloomed upon his face. I think that was more frightening then Kist being angry. I took a step back and felt Ivy hesitantly lay her hand upon my shoulder. I felt better then.

"Finally!" His voice boomed out and threw his arms in the air, stepping closer to encircle them about Ivy and I, hugging us. "I am so proud of you two!" His soft rumble of laughter vibrated against my cheek, which was pressed to his chest. Ivy was wire tight with tension as her front was pressed tightly to my back. He released us and stepped back, as Ivy stepped away and to the side. I was left to stand in the middle of the two. Kisten's voice caught my attention again. "I never thought you two would get to it. How was it? Need a third?" He wiggled his eyebrows and Ivy sputtered behind him, moving up behind me trying to get at him. I pressed back against her and she stilled.

"Wait... Kist... You're not mad?" I asked and he shook his head. "Why? Don't you love me?" I felt the hurt zing through me, making my heart pause for a split second.

"I do love you, Rachel, but I see the worst of what Ivy has been going through. She was hurting, confused and she's in love with you so deeply that she doesn't know what to do with herself." His gaze flicked from me to Ivy and I turned to look at her, eyes questioning. She looked away for a moment and then back before nodding, the hurt was plain on her features. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to figure out something to say, but was drawing a blank. Looking back and forth between the two vamps I loved, I moved a step back from both of them. What was I going to do?

"I need to think..." I said softly. I straightened my clothing out a bit more and tucked away the stray curls, that had broken loose during my and Ivy's make-out session, before moving around Kisten and out into the sanctuary. I paced barefoot, back and forth between the raised area where Ivy's baby grand sat and the sparring mats. I needed time to think... My thoughts raced as I tried to sort them out. Ivy loved me... Kisten loved me. I loved them both, but who did I want to be with. I lived with Ivy, but I had sex with Kist. _'God, why was this so hard?!' _I thought.

I paused, mid-pace, and glanced toward the hallway at the sound of a boot scuffing against the wood floor. Both Ivy and Kisten were standing there, watching me like two leopards watching their prey. I felt a flash of panic, but quickly squashed the feeling. They both looked so beautiful standing there. It had been said that Ivy and Kist were supposed to get married and carry on Piscary's line. They had grown up together, sticking with each other through everything. I knew Ivy and Kisten loved each other, but it developed into something more of a sibling love.

"Rachel, you don't have to decide right now..." Ivy's voice echoed over the sanctuary, hesitant, but sure. She closed the distance between us with a few short strides. "Now that I know how you feel... I can stand to wait. I won't leave if you choose Kist over me, either." She assured me as she saw the question flash over my face before I could voice it. "I love you... and I will be here for you throughout whatever happens." Her gray silk voice soothed me and I smiled, moving close to press a soft, but chaste kiss to her lips.

"Thank you." I murmured and took a step back to look at Kisten. He smiled and gave me a wink before adjusting his leather motorcycle jacket.

"I'll leave you two alone to _talk_." He wiggled his eyebrows again, blowing us both a kiss before leaving. I turned to look back at Ivy and almost gasped. _'She's so beautiful...'_ I heard a voice whisper into my head and I realized that it was my own. It was true. She was beautiful.

"So..." I drawled... "How about them Howlers?" I asked, grasping for something else to say. In all truth, I had been banned from all of the Howlers games after making them pay me for trying to find their team mascot. Ivy's features lit up with a smile that made my heart skip a beat, before a soft, low laugh bubbled past her lips. She moved to wrap those long, graceful arms around my waist, pulling me into a hug. The smell of wood ash and vampire filled my senses, making me relax more against her. She was a head taller than I, which should have made the embrace awkward, but it somehow felt right. She brushed her lips against my ear, causing a shiver to slip down my spine.

"Now... where were we?" She murmured. Her words were soft and low, like velvet brushing against my skin. That voice seemed to caress things low in my body and my knees went watery. She lifted me easily, as if I weighed nothing, and carried me into her room.


End file.
